


Ground Control 01: Ol' Stan

by NervousOtaku



Series: Earth Pi Chronicles [5]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 15:56:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19088275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousOtaku/pseuds/NervousOtaku
Summary: Whether or not anyone else knew it, that old man was special. Just because he'd gone missing didn't mean he was dead.





	Ground Control 01: Ol' Stan

Audrey whistled casually, waiting for the fleeing crowds to disperse. It looked like almost everyone was gone, and thanks to the traffic-jams he'd gotten set up, emergency vehicles wouldn't get here for a minute.

Just because he got hired to bring the place down didn't mean he had to cause a stupid amount of death in the process. People could be awful, sure, but he didn't hafta be too.

Humming now, Audrey left his shady corner and moved to what he approximated was the center of the building. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and concentrated, tipping his head back.

His chest rumbled, and he boomed.

The air rippled, the effect instant. The lights went out, cracks running through the walls and ceiling as the floor shook and dust rained down.

That should do it.

Whistling once again, he pulled up his mask and made sure his goggles were in place. A little extra spring in his step, he made his way to the planned exit— a back window. The building was about to come down, was in the process of doing it already from the noise and shaking, but Audrey didn't fuss. He'd done this before, he knew he could get out in time, and away with no injuries.

Now, go see his employer and get his money.

From the alley he'd slipped into, Audrey sidled into the back of a laundromat. Everyone else had already gotten out, terrified of the collapsing building behind them. He took a moment to change his clothes, then stepped into the street as a wall of dust rolled out.

He pulled his shirt up over his mouth and nose and kept moving, humming.

Several hours later, he was several thousand richer and less of a mess as he strolled into his favorite bar, the Drop Bear. He waved to Hannah and Darla, his favorite lesbian barkeeps, and turned towards his usual table.

Halfway there, he paused.

Where was Ol' Stan?

Never once, in the entire history of time Audrey visited the Drop Bear, had he gotten to the place before Ol' Stan. The old man was practically part of the bar. He couldn't imagine drinking without the guy.

“What's up, hun?”

Turning to face Darla as she pushed a beer in his hand, Audrey pointed to his table. “Where in the blazes is Ol' Stan?” he demanded.

She shook her head, already turning to go back to the counter. “Bloke ain't here, hun.”

That... that sat wrong. How could Ol' Stan not be at the Drop Bear? Hannah had once complained about how the man was just about literally always there. Everyone knew the old American man with his sly smile. Everyone.

Audrey shook his head, turning to follow Darla back. “Stan's always here. He ain't ever not here, Darla. Quit pulling my leg. Is he in the loo?”

“Ol' Stan?” Hannah piped up. “No, he just ain't here. Wasn't waiting outside like he usually does when we open, and hasn't shown up since.”

He frowned, taking a swig of his beer. “That can't be right...” he murmured, swiping his other hand over his mouth.

“Audrey, I know ya liked the guy, but he was an old bloke. There's a good chance he died.”

“No!” he barked in response to Darla's words. The beer in his hands burst, and the bottles Hannah was rearranging shattered. Both the barkeeps clapped hands over their ears, gasping for breath as it was knocked from their lungs.

“Oi, mute! Keep it down, 'fore I rip ya a new one!” one of the guys in the corner yelled, a handful of others agreeing with him.

Audrey ignored them, fishing out his wallet to dig out damage money. It had been a hell of a long time since he'd lost control like that. But the idea of Ol' Stan being dead...

“He ain't dead. No way.” he mumbled as Hannah took the money and handed him a broom.

“Audrey, the guy hadta be in his nineties. People don't last forever.” she said, sounding apologetic.

“But Ol' Stan was different!” he protested as she dragged him behind the counter to clean up his mess. “He was...!”

“Kid,” Darla said, sounding exasperated, “What did anyone know about Ol' Stan?”

For a minute, Audrey was silent, sweeping up the glass.

“... He liked heroes.” he said softly. “Ol' Stan was always watching the news, with fuckin' Iron Man and Captain America and the rest of them heroes.”

“So he liked heroes. Does that tell you his name, or his family? Audrey, people grow old and die. You're a hermit anyway, whaddya care?” Darla sighed in exasperation.

“Because he was different! He... he looked at things like he knew shit! He talked like he had everything figured out and in the palm of his hand! Ol' Stan was different!” he said, hearing the desperation in his own voice.

“What, was the geezer a mute like you?” the guy from the corner drawled, draping himself over the bar now. Bill Kings.

“No... he was bigger than me. Couldn't y'all tell?” Audrey just about begged.

No one answered. Hannah looked away. Bill rolled his eyes.

“... I don't believe Ol' Stan is dead. No way.” he breathed.

“Then go find him, ya freak!” Bill barked, waving a dismissive hand.

After a long, silent moment, Audrey vaulted over the counter and swung Bill into a kiss. The whole bar burst into whoops and hollers as Bill shoved him off. Audrey had no qualms about dropping the guy as he raced out of the Drop Bear.

Finding Ol' Stan was just what he'd do, then. If no one else was gonna look for him, Audrey would.

Just because he disliked people didn't mean he was a jackass. And just because he preferred to live away from people didn't mean he couldn't understand them. Ol' Stan had been something else. Whether or not Audrey was the only one who understood that, that man was important.

And by this point, he wanted to know why and how.

**Author's Note:**

> Earth Pi originated as a world-building exercise. It has since grown and evolved, and I decided to begin nudging the resulting fanwork onto AO3.  
> Audrey Busby, or the mutant mercenary known as Ground Control, is a recent character I made as a joke who somehow found his way into Earth Pi's lore.


End file.
